


All Hearts Come Home For Christmas

by itsprobablylarry



Series: Merry "Kiss"mas [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas, Dry Humping, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, I Don't Even Know, It's pretty simple, Like it's barely there but yeah, M/M, There's not really much to tag, i guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 20:54:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5389952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsprobablylarry/pseuds/itsprobablylarry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Gemma, who the fuck is that?” Louis hisses as he watches her wave back with a big smile.</i>
</p><p>  <i>Her brows furrow for a second as she looks at Louis. “What? That’s my brother, you dork. Told you he’d pick us up, didn’t I?”</i></p><p>  <i>Well fuck. Apparently, Mr. Handsome over there is Gemma’s brother. And Louis is spending a week with him. Pretending to be his sister’s boyfriend. Shit.</i></p><p> </p><p>(Basically: Gemma brings ‘her boyfriend’, Louis, home for Christmas and her brother is really hot.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Hearts Come Home For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays! :)  
> This is just a silly and fluffy christmas fic because why not! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy. ♡

“Absolutely, one hundred percent no.”

Louis never expected such an outrageous suggestion from Gemma of all people. She's usually the cool and collected type who's got their shit together. Most of the time, at least. 

“But Louis, I don't wanna go alone,” she whines in an annoying high-pitched voice. Ugh. 

“And what do I get out of it?”

Gemma seems to consider that if the tilt of her head is anything to go by. Her face suddenly lights up like a Christmas tree. Oh no. “Unlimited access to my notes next semester!” When Louis just stares at her, clearly unimpressed, she continues, “ _And_ I'll do all the cleaning in the apartment for the rest of the year.”

“And next semester, yes?”

She huffs at him but slowly nods her head, strands of blue and purple hair falling in her face. 

“It's a deal. Or date? I don't know.”

With a huge grin on her face, Gemma whacks him on the head and pulls him in for a hug. Louis’ pretty sure she’ll squeeze his eyes out of their sockets, but he doesn't mention it. Instead, he wonders out loud, “Why exactly are you going to the event anyway?”

“Because I promised my friends I'd go. And, of course, they're all bringing their boyfriends. Apparently that's a very christmas-y thing to do. I don't know, I'm happily single.”

Louis tries his best to hold back a snort and shakes his head. “So you decided that bringing your gay roommate would be a good idea? Whatever, as long as there's free food. There _is_ free food, right?”

After another whack to his head, Gemma rolls her eyes and says, “Yes, Louis, now go get ready or something. We’re leaving in three hours.” She gets up from her seat on the couch and adds, “And please take a shower, yeah? You stink.”

Rude. 

 

Gemma clings to his side all night. Her friends all know he's gay, but apparently she wants to put up a show for all the strangers there as well. Louis doesn't really mind. He sips on expensive wine and eats weird stick food while Gemma drags him around.

“Gemma Anne Styles!” A woman’s voice suddenly exclaims excitedly behind them. Louis’ got a hand on Gemma’s lower back and gently guides her with him as he turns around. He might be gay, but that doesn't mean he can't be a gentleman to a girl after all. 

In front of them, a woman Louis’ never seen before absolutely beams at them. Louis is about to speak when he notices the way Gemma pales. “Karen,” Gemma whispers and squeezes Louis’ arm, her fingers digging into his bicep. He tries not to flinch and instead focuses on smiling at the stranger. 

“I see you've found yourself a boyfriend. Honestly, Gemma, it was about time. Anyway, he's absolutely gorgeous. What's your name, sweetheart?” 

Before Louis can answer, the woman pinches his cheek and grins at him. “It's- uh. It's Louis,” he replies awkwardly. 

The woman doesn't seem to notice. She just giggles and pinches his cheek again. “Such a fine gentleman as well. You've done well, Gemma. Now, I've got to run, but do say hi to your mother from me the next time you see her, yes?” And with that, she disappears as quickly as she’d appeared. 

Alright then. Whatever. 

 

Louis knows something is up the second he spots that the dining table has been set. He eyes it warily as he moves towards the kitchen, calling out Gemma’s name. 

In the kitchen, Gemma is busy working on what seems to be quite the meal. She's got a roast in the oven and is currently working on some mashed potatoes and gravy. Yes, something is definitely up. 

“Gem, what the hell are you doing?”

She turns to him and shrugs sheepishly. “I figured I'd make us a nice meal. Because, uh, reasons.” 

“What did you do this time?”

“Nothing.”

“Gemma.”

“Louis.”

“Gem.”

“Lou.”

“ _Gemma_.”

“ _Lewis_. Shut up and make yourself helpful instead. Can you take the roast out of the oven, please?”

He lets out a resigned sigh and drops his bag on the floor before grabbing an oven mitt. He then proceeds to take out the roast, the wonderful smell filling the kitchen immediately. 

“So, when are you going home for Christmas?” 

Louis raises an eyebrow at Gemma. “Why?” 

“Small talk, Louis.” 

“Right,” he says, drawing out the word. “Not until Christmas Eve. My mum’s husband is taking her and the young ones on a vacation.” 

“Oh. Nice. Okay, so you're free the week up until your birthday, yes?” 

“Yes?” 

“Great! Then you should definitely come with me to Holmes Chapel and meet my family.” 

Louis almost drops the roast as he gapes at Gemma. “Why exactly would I do that?” He's getting very, _very_ suspicious now. What the hell is Gemma on about. He quickly sets down the roast and crosses his arms. 

“Uh, the thing is,” Gemma starts as she stirs the gravy. She looks at him over her shoulder and sighs. “Remember that woman, Karen, we met at the event last week?” When Louis nods, she continues, “Apparently, she talked to my mum. And, you know, told her I'd gotten a boyfriend. My mum’s absolutely furious because ‘I didn't tell her’ and she demands that I bring you home for Christmas. 

Louis’ brain goes blank for a minute or two. Gemma’s got to be kidding. “You're kidding. Right?” When she shakes her head, he feels the blood drain from his face. “Why didn't you just tell your mum that it was a misunderstanding?” 

“She sounded so excited about me finally having a boyfriend, I couldn't take that joy away from her. It won't be too bad, I promise. We just have to fake it for like a week and then I'll tell her we broke up eventually. Bullet proof plan right there.” 

Louis’ not so sure about that. But. “Okay. I can do it. But _only_ if you buy me that pair of sneakers I've been saving up for. And no kissing.” 

“Alright alright. No kissing and new sneakers for you. Got it. Thanks, Lou.” 

Louis’ honestly too nice for his own good. 

__

* * *

Louis’ first thought when he spots the stranger in the parking lot is ‘holy shit I’d like for him to bend me over a car. Or maybe bend him over a car because honestly look at him’. The boy is all long legs and brown curls and Louis’ mouth actually _waters_. Fuck, he's been single for too long.

His next thought is ‘holy fuck, please, no no no, NO’ because the boy turns towards them and waves excitedly, a huge grin appearing on his beautiful, beautiful face. 

“Gemma, who the fuck is that?” Louis hisses as he watches her wave back with a big smile. 

Her brows furrow for a second as she looks at Louis. “What? That's my brother, you dork. Told you he’d pick us up, didn't I?”

Well fuck. Apparently, Mr. Handsome over there is Gemma’s _brother_. And Louis is spending a week with him. Pretending to be his _sister’s_ boyfriend. Shit. 

Mr. Handsome-but-also-Gemma’s-brother walks over to them and quickly pulls his sister in for a hug. “Hey Gems, I've missed you,” he says in a lovely, deep voice. Louis wants to cry. As they pull apart, his green eyes land on Louis and he suddenly doesn't look as friendly and innocent as before. 

“None of that, H,” Gemma warns as she pokes her brother’s side. The boy squirms. Adorable, too. Dammit. “Louis, this is my brother Harry.” She quickly gestures between them before glancing at her brother. “Harry, this is Louis. My- Eh, boyfriend.” And if Harry notices the face she makes as she says the word out loud, he doesn't mention it. 

Louis swallows and holds out a hand. “Hey there. Nice to meet you!” He says with a forced smile, his voice almost an octave higher than normal. 

Harry’s grabs his hands and shakes it lightly, his eyes having turned an interesting shade of dark. He licks his lips as he says, “Likewise.” All of a sudden, his face turns red as something like recognition flashes in his now very wide eyes. “Uh. Yes. Nice to meet you, boyfriend. Gem’s boyfriend. _Louis_.”

“Okay, H, we get it. Now leave the poor guy alone, sheesh,” Gemma slaps Harry’s hand away from Louis and hands him a bag instead. “Make yourself useful and take this to the car.”

Harry flushes even more and quickly turns around, muttering a “yes” as he walks towards what Louis assumes is his car.

“Ugh, why are younger siblings so strange, honestly,” Gemma huffs before she grabs Louis’ arm and pulls him towards the car. Louis just lets out a strangled laugh. 

 

Meeting Gemma’s parents isn't nearly as catastrophic as meeting Harry. Most likely because Louis’ brain doesn't turn off to let his dick think instead when he meets Anne and Robin. Anne is absolutely lovely and seems to adore him right away. Robin welcomes him with open arms and immediately asks him questions about football. And boy, does Louis know how to talk about football. 

They all settle down in the living room, Louis sharing a small couch with Gemma. He's got an arm thrown over the back of the couch behind Gemma. Might as well seem a bit couple-y. Robin and Anne are sat on the other couch and Harry’s in a chair, staring intensely at Louis. 

Louis tries to ignore him, really l, but he can't help but glance in Harry’s way every so often. And each time, Harry blushes as he realizes he's been caught. It doesn't stop him from staring, though. Oh well. 

“Gem, honestly, how could you hide this darling from us?” Anne says as she gives her daughter a stern look. 

“Mum, I didn't hide him. I just. I never got around to tell you because we've been so… So busy just being together?”

Louis wants to snort at that. They’d been marathoning Friends and went Christmas shopping. A smile creeps its way onto his face at the memory of Gemma’s sour expression when she’d bought him that new pair of expensive sneakers. 

Clearly, her family takes his smile the wrong way. Anne and Robin chuckle knowingly and Harry chokes on one of the Christmas cookies he’d been munching on. They all turn to look at him, as he's suddenly in the middle of a coughing fit. His eyes are watering and his face is as red as the hideous christmas jumper he’s wearing. He looks quite adorable, actually. At least if one ignores the fact that he sounds like he's dying. 

“I'm gonna-” Harry stutters and scrambles up from the chair and runs to what Louis assumes is either the kitchen or the bathroom. 

 

The rest of the day goes by pretty quickly. Gemma’s family is absolutely amazing and it makes Louis miss his own. 

Gemma is the last one to head to bed. She squeezes Louis’ shoulder and tells him to join whenever he gets tired, and then she heads upstairs. Louis sits silently in the living room for half an hour, just taking in the silent click of the clock on the wall and the sound of a car or two passing by outside. It's nice, really. He's not used to the silence. With six younger siblings, the house never grows silent in Doncaster. 

Suddenly, Louis’ stomach lets out a growl. Alright. Maybe he'll sneak in a snack before going to bed. He lifts himself off of the couch and trots towards the kitchen, a hand patting his tummy softly.

He almost lets out a loud shriek at the sight of Harry, half naked, in the kitchen, eating what seems to be a slice of bread with peanut butter. “Jesus fuck,” he breathes as he hovers a hand over his chest. “You scared the shit out of me, mate.”

Harry looks like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. “Louis. Oh, I- I'm sorry.” He splutters and sets down the slice of bread on his plate. “I thought everybody else were asleep.”

Louis blinks at him for a few seconds before he smiles. “It's alright. I thought the same thing.” He most definitely ignores the fact that Harry’s naked arms and torso are covered in tattoos. He also ignores the fact that Harry’s _really_ fit and very naked except for the pants covering the private bits. Fucking hell. 

When Louis looks up, Harry meets his eyes immediately. At the colour of his cheeks, Louis is pretty sure he just got caught checking him out. Oops. 

“Uhm, right. I was just gonna grab meself a snack and then join Gemma upstairs.” 

Harry cringes at that. Which is understandable. Just the thought of any of his sisters bringing home a boyfriend is making Louis feel slightly nauseous. 

“I don't- we’re just gonna, you know, sleep.”

Harry doesn't look convinced. 

The tips of Louis’ ears turn red as he quickly grabs an apple and makes a beeline for the stairs.

* * *

Louis makes it through the first three days in the Styles-Twist household just fine. The fourth day, though, is when it starts going down hill.

During the first three days, Louis’ easily bonded with all four members of the family. Anne is a sweetheart, Robin is a jokester just like Louis himself, Gemma is actually not too bad when she's around her family and Harry, well, Harry is amazing.

It had only taken a few awkward glances between them before they’d eventually started a proper conversation. Harry’s the perfect amount of witty, bashful and caring. And he's really fucking hot. Something that apparently runs in the family. Louis should've realized a lot sooner that there was no way Gemma’s brother wouldn't be at least half as beautiful as her. 

But the thing is, during Louis’ first days in Holmes Chapel, he spends the majority of his time with Harry. Gemma is busy shopping, decorating, cooking and whatever her and Anne get up to. Robin is working all day, so that leaves Louis with Harry. They play a bit of Fifa, then board games and eventually just banter. 

And sometimes, their hands linger a bit too long when passing the controller or the dice, and Louis’ pretty sure he could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife. 

So. When Harry wakes everybody up at 6:30 in the morning, yelling excitedly about the snow that has fallen during the night, Louis can't help but force himself out of bed. The rest of the household are too lazy, apparently, because Louis is the only one who shows up downstairs dressed in warm clothes. 

Harry beams at him from where he's pulling on a warm coat. “Ready to build the coolest snowman ever?”

“Only if I can give it a penis,” Louis hums as he grabs his coat. Harry squeaks and almost falls over while pulling on a boot. Louis just laughs and steadies him with a hand on his shoulder. “Easy there, young one.”

“Says the old man. When do I get nephews and nieces? Or is it already too late?”

And okay, Louis had not expected that. His eyes widen as he pulls his hand back as if it’d been burnt. “Don't go there, mate. Too far.”

This time, Harry laughs at him and moves to open the door. “Alright, alright. Just don't expect our mum to _not_ mention it sometime soon. She’d lost hope in Gemma, but seems like she might just get those grandchildren after all.”

Louis snorts as they walk outside. “And what about you then?”

“Well, I'm gay, so.”

Oh. Okay. “That doesn't mean you can't have children. Have you heard of adoption? Or surrogates? I'm pretty sure they've even found a way to make two men the biological fathers of a child, too. I mean, you’d probably have to become a millionaire for that to happen, but.”

Harry gives him a weird look at that. “How come you know so much about that anyway?”

Fuck. Louis probably shouldn't tell him that he’s spent a lot of time looking into the options for himself. So, he just shrugs and leans down to grab some snow, forming it into a snowball quickly. 

And if Harry’s cheeks are red when he stands up again, well, then that might just be from the cold. Or from the fact that he was ogling Louis’ bum just seconds ago. Louis can't help but smirk either way. 

“Come on. Larry is waiting,” Harry says after a beat of silence and heads towards the backyard. 

“Larry?”

“We can't make a nameless snowman, Louis.”

“But why Larry?”

“Well,” Harry begins and crouches down to start rolling a lower body for said snowman. “Louis and Harry?”

“Louis and Ha- oh my god, that's ridiculous.” Harry pouts at him, so Louis just shakes his head fondly and adds, “I love it.” 

They finish the snowman rather quickly while making easy conversation. Harry scolds Louis for trying to make the snowman a penis, but Louis just laughs at him and drops a handful a snow on top of his head. From there, it escalates rather quickly. Soon after, they're running around the backyard, yelling at each other with big grins on their faces while throwing snowballs in every direction. 

Louis is standing behind a row of bushes, trying to figure out where Harry is hiding, when a person creeps up behind him with a ‘boo’. Louis tries to run for it, but Harry manages to fall over his own legs as he sets off to chase him, and he takes down Louis with him in the fall just as Louis turns around to see why Harry is shrieking. They land on the snow with a thump, Harry sprawled on top of Louis. 

Harry lifts his head a bit, his lips slightly parted as he just stares at Louis. His cheeks and the tips of his ears are an adorable shade of pink and his lips are plump and red. Fuck. 

“Oops?” 

Louis cracks a smile. “Hi.”

And then they just stare at each other, small smiles on their faces. Louis notices how Harry’s gaze moves to his lips briefly. Interesting. Louis has no idea how long they stay like this, but their faces are slowly getting closer and closer to each other until they're sharing the same breath. Louis can almost feel Harry’s lips on his own.

And then Gemma rudely interrupts them by yelling their names from the other side of the house. Louis wants to cry. 

“I should probably-” Harry starts as he slowly crawls off Louis. Something seems to click inside of him as he moves, because be suddenly frowns at Louis and heads inside without another word.

Louis huffs as he sits up, his legs practically numb from the coldness of the snow under him. He can't be bothered to move, though. He’d been _so close_ to kissing Harry. 

Gemma eventually comes outside and shakes her head at him before pulling him back inside. 

 

To say things are awkward between Harry and Louis the rest of the day would definitely be an understatement. Harry keeps giving him mixed signals. One moment, he smiles at him sweetly, and the next he's practically glaring daggers into Louis’ soul. 

It's not until Gemma plops down in his lap during their game of Scrabble that Louis realizes what it must look like to Harry. He almost kissed Harry while he's supposedly dating his sister. Oh my god. 

“Louis, come back to earth and help me win this,” Gemma says as she waves a hand in front of his face.

“Wha- oh. Right. Sorry. I just. I feel like we should, I don't know, make some hot chocolate, yeah? That’d be nice, yes. I-,” Louis mumbles, stumbling over his words. He must sound like a proper maniac. He gives Gemma a look, which she thankfully understand as she moves to sit on the couch instead. “I'll go make us some hot chocolate if that's alright?”

Anne chuckles, probably amused by how he asks for permission, but she nods her head anyway. “Yes, of course. Harry, can you go help him? You just had your turn, so.” She nods at the board on the table.

Harry seems to consider it for a while but eventually gets up and heads to the kitchen. Louis follows him like a lost puppy. 

In the kitchen, Harry is leaning down to grab a pot when Louis walks in. He places it on the stove and turns around to face Louis. “Look, I'm sorry for what happened earlier today. I shouldn't have, like, tried to kiss my _sister’s_ boyfriend. But. You leaned into it as well, and I'm not sure I like that. You're with Gemma. You can't just go around kissing whoever you like, Louis.”

Louis blinks at him, completely dumbfounded. Fuck. He needs to tell him. “Harry,” he starts as he steps closer. He lowers his voice before continuing, “Gemma and I aren't together.”

Harry raises an eyebrow and squints his eyes suspiciously at Louis. 

“Fuck, this is ridiculous. Okay. Gemma asked me to pretend to be her boyfriend after that woman told your mum we were together. It's all a misunderstanding, really.”

“What?”

“I know it sounds stupid, but I assure you. I'm not dating Gemma. I don't even like her like that. I don't even like _girls_.”

“But, I don't- how did Karen mistake you as a couple in the first place then? She said you ‘couldn't get your hands off each other’. Which, ew.”

Louis snorts and leans against the kitchen counter next to Harry. “Gemma made me her eye candy at that event, too. All her friends had dates and she didn't want to feel left out. And I'm amazing company, so obviously,” he chuckles as he stares at his feet.

“Oh my god, my sister is an idiot,” Harry groans and covers his face with his hands. “Why the fuck didn’t she just tell mum the truth. Oh my god, I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you agreed to do it, either, like-”

“She got me a pair of sneakers, okay?” 

“She got you- oh my god, you’re both ridiculous,” Harry laughs as he clutches at his stomach.

Louis smooths down the front of his jumper and frowns at Harry. “No need to be so _rude_. I was just doing what any poor uni student would do, honestly.”

A bright grin appears on Harry’s lips for a second. His expression abruptly changes to confusion. “Wait, so. You’re gay?” 

“That I am, dear Harold.”

“I KNEW IT!” Harry shouts, fist pumping the air. Louis’ pretty sure he’s gone mental. “Do you know a Liam Payne?” When Louis nods, Harry continues, “Of course you do. I was at one of his parties once and I saw you grinding on some guy. I was so sure it was you, I swear. That’s why the whole Gemma thing confused the fuck out of me, because why was this gorgeous and most likely gay guy suddenly with my sister, y’know?”

Louis can’t help but smirk. “You think I’m gorgeous then?”

Once again, Harry’s face seems to match the redness of his jumper quite well. He coughs quietly, most likely to hide the embarrassment.

And that’s when, once again, Gemma abrupts them rudely. She steps into the kitchen with raised eyebrows. “What’s going on in here? We heard Harry shouting, and I honestly doubt making hot chocolate is _that_ exciting.” 

Louis gestures for her to come closer. When she’s standing next to him, he sighs and says, “Harry knows.” 

“Knows what?”

“That we’re most definitely not dating.”

“What?” She shrieks and hits Louis’ shoulder. “Why the fuck did you tell him, you absolute prick? My mum is gonna flip, Harry can’t keep a secret to save his life.”

“Hey,” Harry says with a pout, drawing out the word. “That’s not true. Besides, you shouldn’t have lied in the first place.” He quickly shuts up when Gemma gives him a sour glare. 

Louis watches them for a second before he explains, “The thing is. Something happened and, uh, I had to explain everything to Harry. Or else the rest of Christmas would’ve been _very_ awkward.” 

Gemma’s icy glare moves to Louis, making him squirm a bit. She can be so stone cold, it’s honestly scary. 

“Don't look at me like I kicked your puppy. I didn't do anything, if that's what you're wondering. It's just,” Louis groans and leans closer to Gemma to whisper in her ear. “Your brother is really hot.”

If they'd lived in a cartoon world, Gemma’s jaw would probably be hitting the floor. She looks so taken aback, clearly not ready for such a statement from Louis. As she collects herself, she lets out a breath and shakes her head. “I should've known better than to pick a gay guy for this, right?” She sighs defeatedly and trots back towards the living room. “Have at it, H. He's all yours,” she mutters over her shoulder before closing the door behind her. 

“Do you think she's gonna tell mum and Robin?” Harry wonders out loud. 

Louis shrugs. He honestly doesn't know. He tells Harry as much before he moves his gaze from the door to Harry. The other boy is watching him already, a smile playing on his lips. Louis pushes himself away from the counter and steps closer to Harry. “So. Are you going to finish what you started outside now that I am officially not dating your sister?”

When Harry doesn't reply or move, Louis just grabs the collar of his ridiculous jumper and pulls him closer until their lips are pressed together. He places his other hand on Harry’s hip and squeezes lightly.

A soft whimper escapes Harry’s lips as he wraps both of his arms around Louis’ neck. He bites softly at Louis’ bottom lip before licking his way into Louis’ mouth.

Louis can't help but smirk into the kiss as their tongues tangle together. He's quite content with where this is heading. He moves the hand still wrapped in Harry’s collar to rest on the lower of Harry’s back as he presses their chests together. He tries his best to suppress a moan as Harry gently tugs at his hair. 

They pull apart briefly, panting softly into the other’s mouth. “How on earth did I not see you at Liam’s party,” Louis asks as he licks his lips. 

“Well, uh, I actually tried talking to you. But. Right as I walked up to you, someone else pulled you away. I didn't see you again that night.”

“And I assume you were sulking the rest of the night after that, yes?” Louis hums and looks up at Harry through his eyelashes. “So sad you didn't get your hands on this magnificent piece of ass.”

Harry’s breath hitches in his throat as one of his hands sneaks its way down to squeeze at Louis’ bum. “Fuck, it _is_ quite amazing. Unbelievable.”

“The result of good genes and _a lot_ of squats, my dear Harold.”

The green of Harry’s eyes is almost not visible, his pupils having grown large. Interesting. “You should- you should show me some time,” Harry squeaks breathlessly. 

Before Louis can answer, Anne’s voice can be heard from the living room. “Boys! Are you done soon or should we continue without you?” Louis can’t help but chuckle as he pulls away from Harry. 

“We should probably make that hot chocolate, yeah?”

Harry fishmouths at him for a few seconds before he gets himself together with a nod. “Yes. Hot chocolate. Great idea, by the way.” He moves to grab some cocoa powder as Louis opens the fridge for some milk. 

“I’m full of good ideas,” Louis hums with a wink as he pours the milk into the pot. “Do you guys have whipped cream and marshmallows?“

Beside him, Harry grabs a wooden spoon and starts stirring the milk as it heats up. “Yeah, I think so. In the fridge and, uh, check the cabinet over there,” he says as he points in the direction of the cabinet. Louis moves past him and quickly grabs the marshmallows and the whipped cream. “Lou, can you get some mugs?” Harry asks as he adds the cocoa powder and then some sugar to the milk. 

“Sure thing, hot shot.” Louis quietly giggles at the way a flush creeps up Harry’s neck. He pats the younger boy’s bum twice before he grabs five mugs. And honestly, he’s kind of liking how domestic they’re being. Even if they’ve only known each other for a total of four days. 

 

When they finally make it back to the living room, Harry carrying a tray with the mugs, Anne gives Louis a funny look as he sits down next to Gemma. She smirks at him as Harry hands her a mug with a snowman on it and shakes her head. “So, a little birdie told me you’re quite the actor,” she begins before sipping at the hot chocolate.

Louis munches on one of the tiny marshmallows and laughs nervously. “Yeah, I guess, I don’t know.” He glances at Gemma, who’s fidgeting with her fingers. He elbows her with a raised eyebrow. 

“Oh. Right. Uhm,” Gemma begins, her face going beet red. “I may or may not have told mum and Robin about our _arrangement_.” 

“Sweetheart, I think you mean ‘lie’,” Robin adds with a cackle. Harry snorts from his seat in the chair. Gemma shoots both of them a glare. 

“So. Arrangement. Yes. I hope you can forgive me for intruding on your family’s christmas time for no real reason,” Louis mutters as he makes eye contact with Anne. She just frowns at him and puts her mug down.

“Louis, darling, we’ve quite enjoyed your company. Gemma’s boyfriend or not,” she quickly chuckles at the way Gemma makes a face, “You’re still very welcome. _And_ you’re definitely not allowed to leave until the week is over.” Beside her, Robin nods his head with a grin. 

And, okay. Maybe Louis beams a bit too excitedly, but he’s honestly grown so fond of Gemma’s family. They’ve been nothing but kind and he would’ve been sad to leave them early and go back to an empty apartment instead. 

All of a sudden, Gemma claps her hands together awkwardly. “Anyway! Let’s go back to this game. I still need to beat H’s ass,” she says loudly and ignores the way Anne rolls her eyes.

* * *

The next two days go by rather quickly. Louis spends quite a lot of time watching various football games with Robin, playing boardgames with everybody and chatting while stuffing himself with candy canes and cookies baked by Harry.

Which, yeah. _Harry_. Nothing between the two of them changes. They still exchange smug smiles every now and then, but none of them mention what happened in the kitchen that evening. 

On the night before the 24th, Harry asks Louis to go with him to Tesco ‘because it's boring to go alone, Gemma’. Gemma watches them leave with a smug grin on her face before going back to whatever she was doing. 

“So, what are we getting?” Louis hums as he leans back in the passenger seat. Harry’s car is quite comfy.

“I want to make a gingerbread house, but I don't have one of those kits to do so. Plus, my mum needs a few groceries, too.”

“And why exactly did you not get these things _earlier_?”

“I- shut up.”

Louis lets out a huff and crosses his arms over his chest. “So rude, honestly, just like your sister. I don't know which one of you are worse.”

“Don't be a baby, Lewis.”

“I'm not, _Harold_. I'm just simply saying you and your sister need to get yourselves some manners.” He watches Harry roll his eyes which earns him a poke to his ticklish side. And if they almost hit a car because of that, no one has to know. 

Inside the store, Louis quickly tells Harry to grab a cart as he heads to the Christmas section. Might as well pick up some stuff for his family now that he's there. Harry returns after a few minutes, the cart filled with various groceries. “Find anything?”

“Not really. Except for these,” he says as he waves around a headband with antlers on them. “Here, let me put them on you.” Before Harry can protest, Louis leans up to place the headband on his curly head. “Adorable,” Louis hums as he tucks one of Harry’s curl behind his ear. “Absolutely adorable.”

Harry watches him with a dopey smile on his lips. When Louis moves to pat his cheek gently, he leans into the touch. 

“Now all you need is a red nose and then you'll be the prettiest reindeer. Rudolf would be so jealous.” Louis winks at Harry before he moves his hand away and turns to look at the other random Christmas stuff on the shelves. He feels Harry’s eyes on him, and he bites back a smile as he grabs a box of small reindeers. “What do you think of these? I have a feeling my youngest siblings like reindeers just as much as meself.”

“They're cute. _You’re_ cute. You get this sweet smile and crinkles by your eyes when you talk about your family. Do you have any pictures?”

Louis drops the box of reindeer toys in the cart and fishes up his wallet. “A few,” he says nonchalantly as he pulls out a whole bunch of tiny polaroids. “My sister, Fizzy, bought herself a Polaroid camera so,” he says sheepishly and hands Harry the pictures. 

“Oh my gosh, the twins are adorable and so tiny,” Harry practically squeals as he goes through each picture. “And wow, all of your sisters are so beautiful. Runs in the family, I suppose. Just like having twins. Too bad you don't have a twin brother,” Harry says as he sighs longingly. 

“Oi, what's that supposed to mean?”

Harry bats his eyelashes at him innocently and hands him the pictures back. “Nothing. Just imagining the possibilities.”

“You're such a weirdo. I don't even wanna know.”

The beautiful sound of Harry’s laughter fills the store as he pushes the cart towards the self-checkout. Louis just walks behind him with a fond smile on his face. 

During the drive home, they engage in various Christmas duets. Louis giggles his way through ‘Baby It's Cold Outside’ as Harry sings in a high-pitched voice, trying to recreate the sound of the woman singing. They eventually move to singing their hearts out along to ‘Last Christmas’ and shake their heads, unamused, when Justin Bieber’s ‘Mistletoe’ starts playing. 

When they reach the house, it's almost midnight. Louis doesn't really know his way around Holmes Chapel, but he's pretty certain Harry didn't drive straight back. They sneak into the house, Louis locking the door behind them. He kicks off his shoes and follows Harry into the kitchen. Louis watches as Harry puts away the groceries while humming something that sounds like ‘Santa Baby’. 

“Hey, wanna watch a movie before heading to bed?” Louis suggests when Harry’s done. 

Green eyes look up at him curiously. “Sure, why not. What do you wanna wa- wait a second, what time is it?”

Louis pulls out his phone quickly. “Quarter past midnight,” he says as he pockets the phone again. “Why?”

Before he even knows what's happening, Harry has him pulled in for a warm hug. “Happy birthday, old man. Let's hope your ass doesn't go all saggy and wrinkly anytime soon.”

“You bastard,” Louis snorts. He eyes the soft skin on Harry’s neck before he latches his mouth onto it, biting down hard. Harry lets out a shriek and pushes him off with a glare. “That's what you get for calling me old, pretty boy.”

Harry pouts at him as touches his neck where Louis’ teeth have left a bite mark. “‘Meanie.”

Louis can't help but roll his eyes fondly as he gestures for Harry to come closer. “Now, now. Let me kiss it better then.” Harry eyes him warily but eventually moves his hair to the opposite side as he stretches his neck. Louis smiles at him sweetly before he gently presses his lips to where the marks of his teeth are still visible. 

Harry is practically purring as he grabs at Louis’ waist. A soft whimper escapes his lips when he feels Louis’ tongue on his overheated skin before Louis proceeds to suck proper marks onto his skin. 

As he gently tugs at Harry’s curls, said boy’s knees apparently turn to jelly as he topples over, once again landing on top of Louis. 

“Fuck, I'm sorry. I just-” Harry says with a strangled groan. 

And Louis is not stupid. He knows very well what’s digging into his thigh. He doesn't mention it, though, but instead presses his thigh up against Harry’s crotch. 

The younger boy’s eyes grow wide as a moan escapes his lips. “Fuck,” he hisses, unable to stop himself from grinding down against Louis’ thigh. He moves his head a bit and stares into Louis’ eyes. 

Seconds later, their lips a pressed together desperately. Harry keeps letting out soft whimpers into Louis’ mouth as Louis rubs his thigh against Harry. He can easily feel Harry growing more and more desperate, most definitely chasing an orgasm. And, fuck. He looks so _dirty_ as he keeps grinding down on Louis and moaning through his parted lips. And honesty, Louis wants to see more. He wants to see Harry cry out in pleasure on top of him. So, he tugs at Harry curls and whispers “Come for me, love” into his ear. And with that, Harry is pushed over the edge as he bites down on his own bottom lip harshly to suppress a moan.

Louis presses a kiss to Harry’s jawline as he lets him ride out his orgasm. He is just about to tell Harry how beautiful he looks, his forehead glistening with sweat and his lips a beautiful shade of red, when the sound of someone walking down the stairs bursts their bubble. 

Harry practically throws himself off Louis and quickly grabs the bag with random stuff Louis got at Tesco’s to cover up the now wet patch on his tight jeans. Louis quickly stands up and thanks some kind of god for the fact that his jumper just about covers his raging hard-on. 

A few moments later, a very tired-looking Robin pads into the kitchen. He nods at them before walking past Louis to open the fridge. And that's when they both practically run out of the kitchen. Harry smiles at Louis for a few seconds before he heads to the bathroom. Louis wills away his boner and eventually sneaks into Gemma’s bedroom, trying his best not to wake her up. 

 

The next morning, Louis is woken up by the whole Styles-Twist household barging through the door, singing ‘Happy Birthday’ loudly. Louis groans as he blinks his eyes open and sits up in the bed. 

“Morning sleepyhead,” Gemma sing-songs and plops down on the bed in front of him. “Since it’s your birthday and christmas, we got you a few presents.” 

Louis blinks at her before his gaze moves to Robin, who’s carrying two presents in his arms. “What- no, guys, you shouldn’t have. That’s really not necessary,” Louis says as he rubs at his eyes. “Seriously.”

“Louis, it’s the least we can do after Gemma dragged you to Holmes Chapel and made you pretend to be her boyfriend,” Anne laughs as Robin hands him the presents. Next to her, Harry grins at him with his arms behind his back. “Now,” Anne continues, “I’ll go prepare the birthday breakfast and you can go ahead and open your presents.” And with that, Anne and Robin head downstairs. 

Gemma gestures for Louis to open the presents impatiently. The first present is a maroon snapback and the second one a book by Jon Ronson. 

“Gemma, you really shouldn’t have.”

“Oh shut up, I owe you one. And my mum insisted on getting you something as well, so I figured that book you’ve been talking about would be a great choice.” She shrugs as she pulls him in for a quick hug. “Now, don’t forget you’ve got a train to catch in four hours.” 

Louis snorts and pokes her in the side as she stands up to leave. The only one left now is Harry, who’s still standing at the door with a smile on his face. He’s wearing another ridiculous, dark red jumper with the words ‘all I want for christmas is you’ with an arrow pointing to the right. Louis shakes his head fondly and raises his eyebrows at the other boy. “Nice jumper, Harold.”

“Thanks,” he hums as he moves to sit in the spot Gemma had been in seconds ago. From behind his back, he pulls out a nicely wrapped present. “I got you a present as well. Wrapped it myself. It’s even got a bow on it,” he says with a shy smile as he hands it to Louis. 

“You know, you shouldn’t have either,” Louis protests as he stares at the present in his hands. “You’re one crazy family, that’s for sure.” He laughs quietly to himself as he unwraps the present slowly. It’s a jumper. A ridiculous, black jumper with the text ‘kiss me, it’s christmas’ and the picture of a mistletoe at the bottom. “This is hideous,” he snorts and looks at Harry. “I love it. Thanks, Harold.”

Harry shrugs sheepishly as his cheeks pinken a bit. “It’s nothing, really. I saw it online three days ago and figured I’d order it for you. Everybody needs an ugly christmas sweater, yeah?”

“I guess you’re right.” Louis moves to stand up and pulls off the t-shirt he’d been sleeping in. He most definitely ignores the way Harry’s eyes darken as he takes in the sight of Louis’ naked torso before he pulls on the jumper. “How do I look?” 

“Amazing. Absolutely amazing.”

Louis bites back a laugh and leans down to hug Harry. “It’s highly inappropriate, though. I mean, what’s up with the placement of the mistletoe?” 

The laughter that falls from Harry’s lips is so loud that Louis’ ears ring for a few seconds. He tugs at the bottom of the jumper and wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at the other boy, only succeeding in making Harry laugh even harder.

“Alright, alright. Shut up and get out of here so I can pack my things,” Louis says after having watched Harry laugh uncontrollably for almost a minute. He hushes the boy out of the bedroom and closes the door behind him with a snort. Alright then. Time to pack.

 

“Sorry I can’t go with you, Lou, but I promised to meet up with my friends,” Gemma says with a sad smile as she pulls him in for a hug. The whole family is squished together in the hallway, saying their goodbyes to Louis. 

“Don’t worry about it, Gem. I’ll see you on New Year’s Eve, right?”

She nods before pressing a wet kiss to his cheek, making him scrunch up his face. He pushes her away with a laugh and then moves to Anne and Robin, giving both of them quick hugs and promises of visiting again one day. 

“Alright, alright. I’ve got a train to catch,” Louis hums and steps towards the door. Harry follows him silently, having offered to drive Louis to the train station. Just as Louis is about to open the door, Gemma’s voice interrupts him.

“Oh hey, boys. Look up.” 

She sounds way too smug. Louis squints his eyes as he looks up and, oh, there’s a mistletoe. Louis briefly recalls seeing it when he’d arrived with Gemma a week ago, but he luckily hadn’t been caught under it with anyone. Until now. Harry’s looking at him with big, green eyes and, _fuck_ , Louis definitely wouldn’t mind kissing him. So, that’s what he does. He wraps an arm around Harry’s waist and pulls him in for a sweet kiss. In the background, he hears Gemma cheer and Anne giggle. 

As they pull apart, Harry’s face has turned a nice shade of red. He looks absolutely adorable. Louis wants to kiss him again. But he doesn’t. Instead, he shoots Gemma a quick glare and opens the door. “Thanks for a lovely week,” he says quickly before he grabs Harry’s arm and pulls him to the car. 

On the way to the train station, Harry’s completely silent. His cheeks are still red and he honestly looks a bit like a disgruntled kitten with that tiny frown on his face. Louis knows he should probably say something, but he’s not quite sure _what_. 

As they reach the train station, Harry is quick to step out of the car and move to open the trunk. “Here’s your bag,” he mumbles, his gaze fixed to the ground beneath them. 

“Harry-”

“Don’t, Louis. Just. Take your things, yeah? Don’t want you to miss your train.” 

Louis rolls his eyes and grabs at Harry’s chin, tipping his head up to look him in the eyes. “I’ve still got 10 minutes,” he whispers before guiding Harry’s face closer to his own. “Now shut up and kiss me.” 

And well. Harry only hesitates for approximately one second before their lips are pressed together roughly. He drops Louis’ bag on the ground and wraps his arms around his shoulders. He pries Louis’ lips apart and licks into his mouth desperately. They stay like that for what seems like hours, their tongues dancing together. As they pull apart, Harry presses his forehead against Louis’ and looks him in the eyes. 

Louis runs a thumb over his cheek softly. “So. What are you doing after christmas?”

* * *

_One year later…_  


“Well if it isn’t Louis. Here to play Gemma’s boyfriend again this year?” Robin says when he opens the door.

Louis shrugs and looks over his shoulder, watching Harry who’s still at the car. “I would, but I don’t think that one over there would be very happy with me.” 

Robin chuckles knowingly and pulls him in for a hug. “I guess you’re right. It’s good to see you, Louis.”

Harry approaches them with a bag slung over his shoulder as they pull apart. He’s absolutely glowing with happiness. Louis feels his heart swell in his chest. 

“Harry,” Robin says as he pulls his stepson in for a hug. “Nice of you to pick up Gem’s boyfriend on your way from London.” 

An adorable frown appears on Harry’s face as he grabs Louis’ hand. “He’s most definitely not _her_ boyfriend this year,” he says with a huff. “He’s all mine.” Robin chuckles quietly and steps back to let both of them in. 

Inside, they’re met with the smell of cinnamon and _christmas_. Louis sighs happily as he kicks off his shoes and pulls Harry towards the kitchen. There, Anne and Gemma are working on what seems to be some sort of cake or pie. As they step closer, Anne turns around and smiles brightly at the two of them.

“Louis! It’s so good to see you again,” Anne greets as she pulls him in for a hug. “You look even more handsome than last christmas.” Louis just laughs at her and presses a kiss to her cheek. 

She then moves to squeeze Harry in a hug, ruffling his curly hair. “And my baby, too,” she chuckles as Harry pulls away with a shriek. “I hope the drive all the way from London wasn’t too bad. Do you want some tea?” 

“Tea would be lovely, mum,” Harry replies and grabs Louis’ hand again. “We’ll go drop our stuff in my room upstairs.” And with that, Harry pulls him up the flight of stairs and into his old bedroom. 

“You know, it’s quite funny how I slept in your sister’s room last christmas,” Louis hums as he drops his bag on the bed. “And, oh my gosh, I remember you were so suspicious. You totally thought I was gonna do actual _stuff_ with Gemma that one night.”

Harry groans behind him and pushes Louis onto the bed. “Don’t remind me of that horrible memory, Lou. I’d much rather make new memories with you right here, right now.” And who is Louis to say no to that? Harry moves to straddle Louis’ lap as he leans down to press their lips together. “What do you say, _boyfriend_?” 

“Well, I suppose that can be arranged.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come and talk to me on Tumblr @ misswarncke. I'm very lonely~
> 
> xx


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